1. This invention relates to a combined toothpick and tooth cleaning implement.
2. Prior Art
In order to remove foreign substance from interproximal dental spaces a tooth pick, i.e. a pointed, solid tool has been used. A tooth pick is, however, insufficient to remove tartar and other coatings on the teeth, and therefore so called teeth cleaners, suitable for scraping or abrading the teeth faces, have been provided. These cleaners, which must be resilient in order to fit into interproximal spaces of different widths, are designed with a mainly triangular cross section, and are often channel shaped so the cleaner, by elastic deformation of its side walls, shall have a possibility to adapt its cross section to spaces of various form.
The interproximal space between certain teeth is often so narrow that it is difficult to introduce a cleaner therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An implement enabling picking as well as cleaning activity is provided. In order to obtain satisfactory resiliency, without any risk of formation of splinters which would damage the gum tissue, a fine quality of synthetic resin is used. For reasons of saving space and reducing the consumption of such expensive material as small an implement as possible is provided. The implement must provide a good grip for use in two different positions of use.
A combined tooth pick and tooth cleaning implement manufactured of synthetic resin according to the invention comprises a cleaning portion having a channel shaped cross section, tapering into a thin tip, and having outwardly roughened side faces, as well as a picking portion, having a solid cross section and likewise tapering into a tip, said cleaning portion, along its open side, being substantially plane, and said picking portion being formed as a planar, leaf-like elongation of said open side, having a tapering contour with a base about equal to the biggest breadth of the cleaning portion.
The picking portion preferably occupies somewhat less than one half of the full length of the implement.